How do glasses help us see?
Adults ScienceToday, glasses help millions of people with poor vision be able to see clearly. But how? Andrew Bastawrous and Clare Gilbert help unravel the answer by explaining refraction - the ability of a transparent medium, like glass, water, or the eye, to change the direction of light passing through it.
The power of the placebo effect
Adults ScienceThe placebo effect is an unexplained phenomenon wherein drugs, treatments, and therapies that aren't supposed to have an effect - and are often fake - miraculously make people feel better. What's going on? Emma Bryce dives into the mystery of placebos' bizarre benefits.
The invisible motion of still objects
Adults ScienceMany of the inanimate objects around you probably seem perfectly still. But look deep into the atomic structure of any of them, and you'll see a world in constant flux - with stretching, contracting, springing, jittering, drifting atoms everywhere.
Is radiation dangerous?
Adults ScienceWhen we hear the word radiation, it's tempting to picture huge explosions and frightening mutations. But that's not the full story - radiation also applies to rainbows and a doctor examining an X-ray. So what is it, really, and how much should we worry about its effects? Matt Anticole describes the different types of radiation.
How do dogs "see" with their noses?s
Adults ScienceYou may have heard the expression that dogs 'see with their noses.' But these creature's amazing nasal architecture actually reveals a whole world beyond what we can see. Alexandra Horowitz illustrates how the dog's nose can smell the past, the future and even things that can't be seen at all.
The benefits of a good night's sleep
Adults ScienceIt's 4am, and the big test is in 8 hours. You've been studying for days, but you still don't feel ready. Should you drink another cup of coffee and spend the next few hours cramming? Or should you go to sleep? Shai Marcu defends the latter option, showing how sleep restructures your brain in a way that's crucial for how our memory works.